Pelosi leads congressional delegation to Afghanistan to visit Karzai, McChrystal

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) arrived with a congressional delegation in Afghanistan on Saturday to meet with top officials there.

Pelosi led a delegation that arrived for meetings with U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of allied troops in Afghanistan.

{mosads}Pelosi and the delegation also met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

“We are grateful for the service of our brave men and women in Afghanistan, for their commitment to America’s security, and their unwavering dedication to their mission,” Pelosi said in a statement.

The meeting came as part of a CODEL to visit troops stationed in Qatar, and previews meeting this coming week in Washington.

McChrystal and Eikenberry will brief reporters at the White House on Monday ahead of a visit by Karzai with President Barack Obama on Wednesday.

The relationship between the U.S. and Afghanistan has been marked by tense moments since Karzai’s reelection campaign, which was marked by allegations of fraud and corruption.

Other members of Pelosi’s delegation included Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, Del. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), a member of the Armed Services Committee, Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.), a member of the Science and Technology Committee.